Making Sparks
by MFord
Summary: Batman meets Catwoman for the first time. Bat/Cat All characters are the property of DC comics.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fiction story - please comment and let me know what you like and what you don't like. My goal is to improve with every story.

 **Gotham…**

One part shining example of a progressive, modern city – the other part a cesspool of violence and crime.

Perched upon one of the many edifices that adorned Gotham's tallest building, Wayne Tower, Batman overlooked the city below. Although spring had arrived, the evenings were still cool and a slick dew covered all the city surfaces that were exposed to the elements. He recognized numerous scents rising from the streets below, many unpleasant. Whatever happened to all the trees that used to grow in Gotham he wondered? Maybe that should be something for the Wayne Foundation to consider at its next charity benefit.

For a change, the current state in Gotham was calm. The Joker was in Arkham Asylum, though him remaining there was never a sure thing these days. The Penguin was free, but he appeared to be focusing his time with the running of the Iceberg Lounge. Batman knew it was only a matter of time before he turned his attention back to taking his piece of the proverbial Gotham pie. For the time being though, he was not an imminent threat. The whereabouts of Bane still concerned Batman. Recent reports exclaimed that he was out of Gotham and back in Santa Prisca. Batman knew that even if Bane was out of Gotham, he remained a threat. Until he could get more concrete information, Batman would continue to monitor any potential news related to Bane.

Batman had a particular goal for tonight – finding out more about the recent spree of high value burglaries that had occurred across Gotham the past few months. There were six break-ins so far and there was only one connection between them – they were targeting the wealthy of Gotham. Jewellery, sculptures, paintings and other expensive pieces were stolen from Gotham's richest families.

 _Whoever committed these burglaries is good…really good. No alarms were tripped during any of the break-ins and no evidence of a crime was left at the scene. In fact, no one would have known a crime was committed except that something was actually missing. What worries me is the last theft occurred in spite of the Waynetech security system in place. Granted, it was civilian-grade system (not as good as the military-grade system Lucius developed), but it was the best on the market. And this burglar walked out with a multi-million dollar Monet like it was sitting on the side of the road._

Batman thoughts were interrupted by a series of electronic beeps in his ear. He touched the side of his armoured cowl and replied:

"Yes Alfred?"

"Master Bruce", Alfred replied, "I wanted to inform you about a signal on the Waynetech Security network that an alarm was tripped at the Gotham Museum. It appears that the motion sensors are picking up movement in the Ancient Egypt exhibit. Do you think this could be your burglar?"

"Unless they are getting sloppy, this doesn't fit the profile", Batman answered. "They never tripped any alarms before and the Gotham Museum seems like a much larger target than someone's personal art collection. That being said, is there a special exhibit currently on display?"

"Checking sir", Alfred responded as checked for information. "Yes, there is a collection on loan from Egyptian Museum of Antiquities that honours the God Bastet."

"Bastet…God of cats", Batman grumbled.

"Correct sir, your knowledge of ancient Egypt remains as astute as ever", Alfred replied with a slight hint of cheek.

"Benefits of a classical education Alfred…you should know since you forced me to read all those books" was Batman's retort. "I'm going to the museum to check this out. It's probably some rookie crew trying to make a score. I'll be sure to encourage them to find a new line of work."

"Very good sir, I will be available if you need anything else. Good luck master Bruce."

With that, Batman stood up and dove off Wayne Tower. As he gained speed, he threw out his arms and the air rushing past him caught his cape and pulled him up into a controlled glide. He listed to the left and headed towards the museum. Batman glanced at the small screen on his left arm and studied the data listed: speed, telemetry, distance to target. He would be at the museum in under five minutes. Through the night-vision in his cowl, the museum's roof started to get closer and closer. As the ledge of the roof approached, Batman pulled up and landed softly on the rough shingles that covered the roof.

For a moment, he stood perfectly still and started to observe his surroundings. Listening closely, the only sounds Batman heard was the soft whistle of the wind and low humming of the heating generator located on the roof. Through his night-vision, he scanned the roof looking for signs of the break-in. As he looked across the roof, he came upon the main access doorway which was wide open.

 _OK, this crew is really sloppy…or maybe something else is at play? The tripped alarm, wide open door…I've been through enough traps to get this bad a feeling. I need to change my approach._

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the big bad Bat. I was hoping you would accept my invitation tonight."

Batman spun around to confront the female voice that startled him.

 _How the Hell did she sneak up on me like that? She was as quiet as a cat._

As he locked in on the source of voice, Batman ever-so-slightly let out a gasp at what he saw. Standing before him was the silhouette of a stunning woman. He could not help but gaze over her from head to toe. She was wearing a cowl that had small, cat-like ears and extended to a mask that wrapped around her eyes, but left the rest of her face exposed. Long, curly hair escaped from the back of the cowl and nestled behind her shoulders. As he continued downwards, Batman could feel a knot forming in his stomach as he looked at her gorgeous physique that was contained in a purple, skin-tight suit. It almost appeared to be spray painted on and left little doubt as to the dangerous curves she possessed. As he struggled to move past her waist, he could see the handle of what looked to be a bullwhip popping out of the top of her thigh-high boots.

"What's the matter…cat got your tongue? Or are you just enjoying the view?" the mysterious woman asked with mischievous grin.

Batman, realizing that he must have been staring a little too long, tried to regain his composure.

"What are you doing here", he growled. "Museum hours ended a while ago and you don't look like museum security."

"You got that right handsome", she teased, "I'm guessing I don't look like anyone you're used to."

Batman took a step closer to her and forced himself to be even sterner.

"I'm guessing you're responsible for the recent run of break-ins in Gotham. Considering you got away clean at the others, why did you trip the alarms here?"

"Well, I can see why they call you the great detective", she replied as she also stepped closer to Batman, "and is that a voice modulator you're using? Makes you sound dark and authoritative and moody…mmm, I like it. Goes well with the whole Bat ensemble. Hearing all the stories about you, I just had to meet you in the flesh so-to-speak – well, considering how little flesh you actually show. I figured a tripped alarm would do the trick".

Batman took another step closer towards her – they were about arms length apart now. He tapped the side of his cowl to turn off his night-vision. As the green hue left his lenses and the halogen lights of the museum roof provided the lighting, he could see her eyes more clearly. They were a stunning green that made her eyes look like two polished emeralds. The dark eyeshadow she wore accentuated her eyes even more and Batman could almost feel himself being pulled into them. Even with the mask obscuring some of her face, she was beautiful.

"So Bats, I'm sure you know what the say about staring….then again, I can't blame you….and truthfully, I don't think I mind", she purred as she playfully extended her arm and started to trace the bat symbol on Batman's chest plate with her finger. There was a dull screeching sound as the sharp, metallic nail at the end of her finger dragged across the boron-carbide plate that protected Batman's chest.

 _What is happening to me? I've dealt with the worst villains in Gotham and put fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere. But somehow, I am fixated on this woman and I am struggling to control my composure. I need to take back control….now!_

Batman grabbed her wrist and held it in front of her.

"Enough", he snarled, "it's time for me to put an end to your little crime spree. How about you make it easy on yourself and tell me who you are and where you stashed all the items you stole".

"Oh, I never like to do things the easy way Bats", she replied as her eyes narrowed, "and I am about as ready to reveal my identity as I'm sure you are to reveal yours. As for those lovely trinkets, I'm afraid they're long gone. You see, a girl has to survive and the rent doesn't pay for itself".

"You broke the law and I'm going to bring you in".

"Oh come on, when you talk like that, you sound like a dumb cop. Don't lower yourself to that level, it's not attractive". As she spoke, her free hand moved towards Batman and started down his side, gently caressing the edge of his armour. "Besides", she continued, "the only so-called victims here are the richest snobs of Gotham who can easily afford to buy a replacement and will be cashing in their massive insurance policies. Forgive me if I don't shed a tear for their plight".

"What about the museum tonight? Are public exhibits now part of your crusade against the 1%"?

"Well, let's just say I have a thing for cats. Besides, I didn't take anything tonight. I just felt like playing a little bit". Her dark lips widened into a seductive smile as her free hand continued to probe along Batman's side and found the section where the armour ended. She gently stroked this area where only thin fabric separated her from Batman's skin. "Mmm, there you are"!

Batman found himself in a position he had never experienced before. He was at a loss for words with this woman and struggled to maintain his composure. His difficulty for words was not being helped by her caressing hand that was sending small sparks throughout his body. As he looked into her eyes, Batman saw that she knew exactly what kind of reaction she was causing. His enjoyment of the situation was matched with equal anger at how easily she had taken control.

The growing sounds of sirens from the streets below shook Batman out of his daze. The police were finally responding to the alarms tripped at the museum. His resolve immediately steeled and his focus returned.

 _Time to put an end to this encounter._

"Play time is over kitty-cat", he ordered, "I'm taking you down and you and police can get acquainted".

Her smile turned into an petulant frown. "How disappointing, just as the evening was starting to get interesting. Well, you can socialize with your flat-foot friends, but I have to get home and feed my cats. Hopefully you will be less boring when we meet again".

As the words left her lips, a blinding pain shot through Batman's side as she dug four nails into his unprotected flesh. As he recoiled and took a defensive step back away from her, he barely saw the outside of her leg sweeping along the ground. And in an instant, he felt his legs swept away and then felt the hard roof as he landed flat on his back.

 _She is faster than I thought and caught me completely flat-footed. I will not make that mistake again._

Batman jumped up and saw that she had already moved to the edge of the roof and was about to flee.

 _How did she get across the roof so fast?_

As he started towards her, there was a load crack as she unleashed her bullwhip and flung it at Batman to keep him away. He stopped in his tracks as the tip of whip smacked the top of his cowl.

"Sorry Bats, but that's all the action you're getting tonight…better luck next time". With that, she teasingly blew him a kiss and flung her whip onto a gargoyle on the adjacent building. As she prepared to swing away, she looked back at Batman and said, "by the way, you can call me Catwoman".

With that, she swung off the roof and into the darkness. Batman ran over to the edge and reached to his utility belt to grab his grapple-gun. As he grasped the gun, he could see drops of blood. He touched the area where she…Catwoman…had scratched him and his glove was covered in even more blood. The scratches were quite deep and would require stitches. Batman grudgingly accepted that tonight's patrol was going to end earlier than expected.

 **To be continued in chapter 2...**


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the feedback so far, I hope you enjoy chapter 2!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

"Ouch"!

"I'm sorry Master Bruce, but you need quite a few staples to close these wounds". Alfred spoke with the tone of a man who had performed this task far too many times. "Perhaps it would be wise to avoid getting scratched in the future",

"So that's what I've been doing wrong all these years", was Bruce's retort. "You should start writing crime fighter for dummies books".

In spite of Alfred's jests, Bruce knew that he had been careless. He almost literally let this Catwoman get under his skin and it could have been much worse if she had more nefarious intentions. Still, he found her captivating.

 _Why am I feeling like this? I have interacted with gorgeous women before and I had no issues. It's that sultry confidence that she exudes…it's, it's…irresistible. And those eyes, they're…I need to get my head on straight. Batman cannot afford to think this way._

"There we are Master Bruce", as Alfred finished applying the taped pad of gauze to cover the staples. "Can I recommend that you try and take it easy for a few days"?

"Thank you Alfred, I will do my best". Alfred knew exactly what that meant as he cleaned up the bloodied remains of his impromptu surgical session. As we walked up the stairs that led from the Batcave to Wayne Manor, he tried to put aside his fears for the one day that Batman would not return home. As strong and brilliant as he was, he was still just a man. As he reached the top of the stairs, he briefly looked down at Bruce and wondered when that final day would occur.

Bruce looked at Alfred's handiwork and was impressed as always. He thought about Alfred's past as a medic in the Royal Marines and how lucky those men were to have him along side them in battle. The wounds were sore, but thankfully the could be concealed. One of the problems Batman created was having to explain random injuries that appeared on Bruce Wayne. You can only get injured in sports or motor racing so many times. Maybe he would take it easy for a couple of days.

* * *

On Gotham's east side, a svelte figure swung through the night and landed on the 15th floor balcony of an apartment complex. As she opened the sliding door and entered the apartment, a voice called out, "Selina, is that you?"

 _Of course it's me, who else would be flying into a high-rise apartment. Well, besides Batman?_

"Yes, it's me Holly", was the response. "I thought you would be asleep by now, considering it's a school night".

"Sorry Selina, I was watching the end of a movie. I'll go to bed now". With that, Holly went to her room and closed the door.

Selina had been looking after Holly for a couple of years and she was going to make sure that Holly did not repeat some of her mistakes so school was the number one priority. Even though Holly was aware of Selina Kyle's extra curricular activities as Catwoman, she understood why she did it and was appreciative that she looked after her. Selina promised her that if she did well at school, she could go to any college she wanted. With the right score, money would not be a problem. In fact, Selina had set up a trust fund for Holly and made sure to contribute a portion of her "earnings" after every job.

Selina walked into her own bedroom and removed her cowl and dropped it to the floor. There was a quiet meow that greeted her as she approached her bed.

"Hello Whiskers, did you miss mommy while she was gone"? The cat purred as Selina scratched her cat behind the ears. "Nothing pretty to share with you tonight, although there were some lovely items that would have been purrrfect. Maybe next time".

Selina removed her boots and gloves and started to slip out of her suit. She walked over the bathroom and turned on the shower. Once the water got hot enough, she stepped in and let the heat relax her aching muscles. She rubbed her wrist which was a little sore due to Batman's grip and she reflected on the evening's events.

 _Why am thinking about him right now? He was acting like stupid cop on the beat, threatening to have me arrested. That's so cliché. But, he definitely had a presence about him. Tall, handsome, dark…and brooding. I wonder what his real voice sounds like? Hopefully he's not covering it because he sounds like David Beckham. Ha ha! I'm pretty sure I got to him though, all the stories I've heard make him out to be like a robot or something. But there is more to him than the Bat and I think I want to explore some more._

As she finished up in the shower, Selina thought about her next job. Her client wanted her to take a collection of jewels that were part of a Wayne Foundation charity event. The jewellery collection was on loan from some wealthy family in Metropolis so she had no qualms about the target. The score could be a bit tricky since they were located on the top floor of Wayne Tower. Then again, she had beaten the best Waynetech security systems already so this should not be problem. Besides, the money was big and would allow her to take a nice break for a while.

 _I wonder if Batman would be keen on defending this score? As much as I want to get away cleanly on this one, it would be nice to play with the Bat again. Still, I should probably focus on the job at hand – once I get paid, there will be lots of time for my…um…social life. Yes, back to business. Quick reconnaissance tomorrow and then do the job. Work first, then I can play._

Selina smiled as she towelled off and glided over to her bed. Sliding under the sheets, she always loved that feeling of Egyptian cotton against her naked skin. It had been a good night and as sleep began to take over, she looked forward to tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, Selina entered the main lobby of Wayne Tower. She had never been in the building before and she was taken aback by the opulence of it all. There were expensive, yet trite works of art that adorned the walls. The kind of stuff that showed you had money, but not necessarily taste. As she continued through the lobby, Selina read one of posters advertising the jewellery exhibit and headed over to the elevators.

 _$50 to view some old bitty's jewellery collection? I know a lot of it's going to charity, but what a rip off! I can't wait to get my hands on these. You know what, I think I will make a charitable donation of my own with the proceeds. And it will be to a legitimate cause, not like the trumped up ones all these fat cats donate to in order to get a tax break._

As the elevator doors opened, Selina stepped out and begrudgingly gave the $50 to the receptionist. As she walked into the exhibit, she looked herself over in one of the many mirrors that were part of the display. Since she was casing the place, she tried to keep her appearance low profile. Dark jeans and a grey coat that went to just about her knees. She decided to wear her blonde wig as it was the total opposite to her near black hair.

Selina scanned the room making numerous mental notes about the layout, where the security cameras were, the best point of ingress and so forth. The glass cases that housed the various pieces would not be a problem for her carbide-tipped claws and her other equipment would deal with any sensors being used. She ambled forward to the prize of the collection, a massive diamond necklace. This piece alone was worth over seven figures. As she gazed at the piece she saw the reflection of a man who had appeared behind her.

"It's quite breathtaking, isn't it"? Selina turned and looked up at the man who just spoke. She immediately recognized the man. In fact, who in Gotham didn't recognize Bruce Wayne?

"It certainly is", she responded, "and the necklace isn't too shabby either".

Bruce paused at the shear brazenness of the woman's comment.

 _What's a matter Mr. Wayne? Is this the first time you're dealing with a woman with half a brain?_

"Touché", was best answer Bruce could come up with. "I apologize however I could not help but notice you as you were viewing the collection. I get the sense that you have a very keen eye for beautiful things."

 _Ugh, I guess this is why he always has some bimbo draped around his shoulders – they probably eat this shtick up. Then again, those blue eyes are quite fetching and that smile has some sincerity to it. Maybe I'll go easy on him._

"They say diamonds are a girl's best friend Mr. Wayne", was her answer.

"Please, call me Bruce", he responded softly while extending is hand, "Miss…"?

"Kyle, but you can call me Selina", as she gently shook his hand. "So, you must be quite proud of this little gala. Certainly looks good in the papers for your foundation's charitable endeavours".

"My parents taught me long ago that it was our duty to give back to the community. To be honest, I never really liked how ostentatious these exhibits are, but they seem to attract people's money and that's what matters". Bruce's shoulders shrugged as he illustrated his point.

"Really, I find that surprising considering the opulence of your lobby. I'm sure you could feed a few families for the rest of their lives with what's hanging on the walls". She could see that this rankled him a little.

Bruce quickly realized that Selina was quite intelligent and did not seem to be the type who wasted her time with entitled people of privilege. His normal portrayal of Bruce Wayne as the foppish billionaire playboy was not the way to go.

"Unfortunately, Wayne Enterprises is a public company and we have to do the corporate dance that shows our shareholders that we are successful and making money. Nothing shows that better than having a fancy building with expensive things. It's a dance that I don't really like, but it's one I have to do. All I can do is keep up our charitable work and try to make a difference for the less fortunate".

"Well Mr. Wayne, maybe I misjudged you initially", Selina offered. "From what I've seen of you in the press, my expectations were quite low. But maybe you have some more depth than I thought, perhaps your altruism is genuine. I find that very intriguing, especially from a trust-fund baby".

Selina stepped closer towards him.

 _You've piqued my interest Mr. Wayne and maybe I will make an effort to peel back some more layers. Perhaps there is nothing else there, but spending time with a good-looking billionaire could have other benefits. I'm sure there are some wonderful trophies in Wayne Manor that would be worth expropriating. However, my dance card is full at the moment and I want to explore a different species before I get back to man._

"Alas Mr. Wayne, I have to be going…some of us work for a living". Selina gently shook his hand again, but allowed her finger to drag ever so seductively across his palm as she withdrew. "Perhaps we can continue this another time"?

"Of course", Bruce responded almost too enthusiastically. "But how will I be able to contact you"?

"You won't, but I know where to find you. Bruce Wayne is not difficult to find". With that, Selina turned around and walked towards the elevators, leaving Bruce standing there with boyish grin on his face.

 _Always leave them wanting more._

 **To be continued in chapter 3...**


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the positive feedback so far - I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Later that week, Batman was in the midst of his nightly patrol through Gotham and he found himself thinking about fairer side of the species more than normal. First there was the Catwoman and now there was the woman he met at Wayne Tower, Selina. Both women were fascinating to him in different ways.

When he saw Selina for the first time, he pre-judged her the way he did when he met certain women at any function he frequented as Bruce Wayne. Well, that turned out to be incorrect. Even though he was not a blonde-man, he could not deny that Selina was very attractive. She also had lovely green eyes and a personality to match.

 _What it is with me and green eyes suddenly? First Catwoman and now Selina. Maybe the trick to Kryptonite is its colour and not its alien origin. Seems to working on me. I should ask Clark next time I stumble into Metropolis._

So far, the Catwoman had not turned up. There were no reported break-ins or robberies which made Batman worry about her next target. Maybe the collection at Wayne Tower would be enticing, but there were definitely easier targets to plunder. Still, she had proven to be very adept at what she did and their first meeting taught him a valuable lesson about underestimating his adversary.

"Bruce? It's Lucius". Batman tapped his cowl to answer the communication feed.

"Mr. Fox, as much as I enjoy our conversations, I must admit I'm surprised to hear from you at this late hour".

"You know me Bruce, candles burning at both ends", was the response. "I think someone has broken into Wayne Tower and taken the jewellery collection".

"What? How is that possible? This is your system Lucius and I seem to remember it being the best. Wouldn't there be some alarm going off right now"?

"That's the thing Bruce, there are no tripped alarms. The only reason I know something happened is the small tracking device I put on the marquee necklace. No one, including you, knows I did this. So the fact that the necklace is currently moving away from Wayne Tower tells me it's gone. I'm sending the tracking data to your cowl's HUD. You'll be able to track the culprit".

"Thanks Lucius, I'm going after them now".

"Go get'em Bruce. I don't like when someone breaks my system. I'm gonna figure how they did it and fix the problem. I'll update you tomorrow. Out".

Batman followed the data in his HUD and swooped towards the target's projected path.

 _I really have to step my game up. This Catwoman is probably the best burglar I've ever come across and I'm always a step behind. Thankfully, Lucius' sense of doubt in his own abilities paid off and gave me an advantage I can use to finally get ahead of her._

The tracking data extrapolated the course of the target and highlighted a rooftop that would be a perfect intersection point. Batman maintained his glide and grabbed his grapple-gun. Aiming at the rooftop, he fired and the high-speed mechanical winch pulled him quickly to his intended destination. As he landed, his HUD showed that he had approximately six seconds before the target would arrive. Quickly, he grabbed a sharpened Batarang from his utility belt and waited.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack of a bullwhip and the tip of the whip itself wrapped around the frame of the water tower on the roof. As Batman saw a figure swing around the water tower, he threw the Batarang. It sliced through the whip and sent the previously attached occupant tumbling along the roof, stopping in a crumpled heap.

"Ow, ow…shit", was all he heard from the grounded adversary, along with some groans of pain.

"Catwoman", he said intimidatingly.

"Jesus Bats, I didn't realize you played so rough", was her exasperated response. "Next time, maybe give me some warning so I don't break my neck". She slowly moved off her back and rested on her knees, shaking her head with some apparent discomfort.

 _Maybe she's right, that was a pretty hard fall._

Batman offered his hand to her.

"Well, I guess that's as close to an apology as I'm gonna get", Catwoman smirked. "Maybe there's hope for you yet". She grabbed his arm and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

"Don't get the wrong idea Catwoman, you're still going down for your crimes".

"I'm curious about one thing", she asked as she slowly twisted her foot on the ground like a child caught stealing candy. "I know that I got out of there clean so how did you even know they were gone"?

A wry smile appeared on Batman's lips. "There's a tracking device on one of the pieces – I just had to follow the signal".

"Really, that's what the great detective came up with"? She did not like how simple the ploy was. "I guess it worked so joke's on me, huh"?

Batman reached around to his utility belt and took out his handcuffs. "No more jokes".

"Ooh, what are we gonna do with those", she teased with a cheeky grin. "Is this where you show me what happens when I choose the hard way? Tell me Bats, how hard do you like it"?

 _She was doing it again. That sultry confidence, the fact she knew how much sexuality was oozing out of her. The way those gorgeous green eyes flirted with him, her ridiculous body in that suit, they were like deadly weapons._

"Enough games".

"Alright, I can see you don't want to play anymore", she replied and raised her arms up in front of Batman, waiting for the cuffs to be slapped on. Her lower lip stuck out as she made a small frown.

He took the cuffs and clicked them shut around her wrists. Her arms were thin and just large enough to actually fit in the cuffs. He was about to speak, but she had something to say first.

"You know what, I don't think I'm ready to stop playing yet". As the words left her mouth, her cuffed hands shot up and grabbed Batman's pointed ears atop his cowl. She pulled his head down and drove her knee into his chin. The impact jarred his jaw and sent him staggering back.

 _Stupid…you let your guard down again and now look what's happ…_

His thought was violently interrupted by a spinning kick that connected on the side of his head. The armoured cowl absorbed some of the impact, but the force knocked him to the ground. Batman tried to regain his focus, but his head was still spinning from the double hit. He rolled onto his back and saw Catwoman using her claws to pick the locks on the handcuffs. Within seconds, they fell to the ground at her feet.

 _I need to get those upgraded._

As he lay there, Catwoman slowly sauntered over to him, walking with a strut that was usually found on the runways in Paris. She stepped down on his left arm and used her weight to temporarily pin it in place. She then crouched down and put her knees on Batman's arms as she folded her own arms and rested them on his chest. She leaned down and brought her face agonizingly close to his.

 _Oh shit._

"Now, that's better…don't you think", she whispered alluringly.

Batman could feel her soft breath against his lips as she spoke.

"Don't worry about the cuffs Bats, there isn't a lock around that I can't get out of. And I think you are going to owe me a new whip, I doubt I'll be using that one again. But let's focus on the here and now shall we"?

Her hand moved to his side and delicately touched the spot where she gouged him before. She could feel him tense up.

"Sorry about that handsome, I hope it didn't hurt too much", she confessed, "but you left me little choice. Think of it as a love scratch…marking my territory".

 _This is quite the predicament. One the one hand, she's got you exactly where she wants you. On the other hand, I am not sure if I want to escape. What is this woman doing to you? That perfume…is it Givenchy, Chanel? She seems like she would get her scent from France as opposed to Italy. All my senses are being overwhelmed by her._

She could almost see the thoughts that were circling around in Batman's head.

"It's okay, I know that this is not the type of challenge you train for so I won't tell anyone I beat you". An irrepressible smile broke out as she finished speaking. "I wonder what's going on in that brain of yours. It's tough to tell when I can't see your eyes". She gently tapped the white lenses that filled the sockets of Batman's cowl. "Hopefully I will get to see them soon".

"What do you want Catwoman"? It took an eternity for him to muster those words.

"Isn't it obvious Bats", she said tantalizingly. Then she leaned in and slowly, gently pressed her lips to Batman's and kissed him softly. He could feel the electricity pulse through him as their lips remained connected for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she pulled back and returned to her position just above his face.

 _Her lips…so soft and sensual…tastes like vanilla. I can't…resist her._

Catwoman licked her lips alluringly and remarked, "Meow…that was nice. You taste better than I thought you would. Shall we move on to the main course"?

Batman's muscles tensed up as she came in close and kissed him again. This time, there was more force behind it. He could feel her tongue teasing his lips and he tried to resist, but ultimately gave in. She delicately probed his mouth and he felt her let out an arousing sigh has her tongue connected with his. For all he could tell, he made the same noise as he could barely control his own actions. Their tongues remained connected together as their lips pressed against each other with ever increasing force. When the passionate kiss slowly ended, she playfully grabbed his lower lip between her teeth and pulled it away from his face. It hurt, but in a good way. Just as it felt as though the skin would break, Catwoman let him go and looked back down at him.

"Wow, I think we made a little bit of electricity tonight", she exhaled as she slowly caressed the exposed section of Batman's face with the back of her hand. Even in the dark, Batman could see that there was a slight flush in her cheeks.

 _This is your only chance. If you don't make a move now, you're never going to._

"I'm sorry Catwoman".

"Why?" she asked, "you can admit you enjoyed it. It's what normal people d…"

With great speed, Batman grabbed Catwoman under her arms and used his legs to flip her over his head. Being that much lighter than him, he was able to propel her quite far. He jumped to his feet and immediately turned around. She was still getting herself off the ground so he launched himself at her. His target was the small pack he saw on her back – the jewellery would be in there. He grabbed it with his left hand and used his right hand to grab another Batarang and cut the straps. As he pulled the pack away, he just managed to avoid Catwoman's swipe with her clawed hand.

Knowing her whip was out of action, Batman quickly grabbed his grapple-gun and fired at the top of the water tower. He flew to the top and landed on his feet. As he looked down, he saw Catwoman standing with her hands on her hips.

"Really? You're going to just take my stuff and run", she snarled. There was no smile this time.

"Consider this your final warning", Batman bellowed. "Next time, I will take you to jail".

"You assume there will be a next time. Maybe this is a deal breaker for our relationship"?

"You're a criminal and I uphold the law. I guess you'll just have to deal with it". He turned to jump off into the night and remarked, "no hard feelings I hope"?

"Actually…semi-hard I would say", as she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

 _Touché._

 **To be continued in chapter 4...**


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks again for the positive comments. We are about halfway through this journey so I hope you all will stick around until the end.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

 _Bastard._

All that hard work, but Selina had nothing to show for it. No jewels, a broken whip and the embarrassment of having to climb from balcony to balcony in order to get back into her apartment. Worst of all, as much as she enjoyed her brief tryst with Batman, he used that moment of weakness to regain the upper hand and win the night.

As Selina walked into the apartment from the balcony, she tried to remain quiet for Holly's sake – even though she wanted to fly-kick one of her vases across the room. She went straight to the bathroom to inspect the damage. Her suit was partially torn around her right hip and both of her gloves were heavily scuffed along her arms. As she removed her entire out fit, she tenderly touched the rough skin around her hip. It was going to need some disinfectant. She could also feel some bruising starting to form around both of her elbows.

After (painfully) applying some anti-septic rub to her hip, Selina turned on the faucet to her bathtub and slipped into the hot water. The heat instantly felt fantastic against her aching muscles. She dipped a wash cloth into the water, put it over her face and lay back with her eyes closed.

 _So why are you mad? Is it because you lost the score, or because HE took your score? You can't deny the chemistry that was on display tonight. You felt the spark, you know he felt the spark. Yet he showed his true colours – he's the hero, he will always be the face of justice. I'm just a thief and I know how Batman deals with thieves._

As that thought popped into her head, Selina grabbed the face cloth and angrily threw it against the tiled wall. She was fiercely independent and never let anyone tell her what to do. But she felt a partial loss of control when it came to Batman. On the one hand, she could wrap him around her finger, yet she couldn't fully exploit that to her advantage. Having him at her mercy just made her want to dive deeper into him. And that infuriated her immensely.

 _Still, that was quite the kiss. Maybe the night wasn't a total write-off after all._

She allowed herself a smile at that thought. After a long soak, Selina drained the bath, grabbed her silk kimono and went to living and sat on the sofa. Whiskers jumped into her lap and purred affectionately as she pet her vigorously.

"Yeah, I can always count on you sweetie", Selina remarked as she continued to rub her cat's fur.

The tricky part now was the non-existent set of jewellery she owed her client. This was the first time that she had failed to deliver so this was new territory for her. Selina knew she had two days to deliver the goods, but that was not going to happen now that Batman had them. From what she could tell, apart from the high dollar value, the jewellery did not appear to have any other intrinsic value. Maybe she could find another score that had a similar dollar value and offer it as an alternative? She would probably would have to lower her normal cut, but that wasn't the end of the world.

She reached over to her laptop and opened her web browser to the anonymous chatroom where she normally conducted her business transactions.

Kitten: Sorry, lost your present during transport. There was a rodent problem.

SP101: Unfortunate.

Kitten: Do you have a second choice? Reduced shipping rate is possible.

SP101: Perhaps. Will get back to you with new wish list.

Selina closed her laptop and stretched out her legs on the sofa. She did not like being in someone's proverbial pocket. She worked extremely hard to achieve the reputation she possessed as the best thief for hire in Gotham. And she wasn't going to let Batman wreck that.

 _I need to get my focus back. As much fun as the Bat may be, my livelihood is more important._

* * *

"I heard from Lucius regarding the theft. I take it you were successful Master Bruce"?

Alfred was standing behind Bruce as he placed the recovered jewellery on a table in the Batcave.

"Yes Alfred, thanks to this". Bruce held a tiny transmitter with a pair of tweezers.

"Very impressive, Mr. Fox never ceases to amaze", Alfred remarked. "I assume that this was the work of the Catwoman again"?

"It was. She is quite remarkable if I'm totally honest Alfred".

The recent rooftop antics were fresh in his mind. The whole passage of events made him feel like a young boy in school who finally got a chance with captain of the cheer leading team. Everything about her was perfect. The mental replay of those kisses brought a smile to his face that was completely involuntary.

"My word sir, you appear to by quite smitten by her". Alfred could see that Bruce was distracted.

Bruce chuckled at the notion. "I wouldn't say that. However, she has had more than one opportunity to do me serious harm and she didn't. She's a thief, but I get the sense that beneath everything, she's morally good".

"Well sir, I trust your judgment in these matters. Just be careful that it's not an act".

"I guess we'll know for sure when our paths cross again".

With that, Bruce hoped that he was right about her and that they would meet again.

* * *

A few days had passed by and Selina was still waiting to hear back from her client. She was not feeling nervous, for all she knew they had moved on. Her only concern was the potential black mark on her reputation. She hated to admit it, but she knew it was a man's world in her business and she had to work twice as hard as the others. However, big challenges always brought the best out of her and she was never one to back down.

As she lay in bed, Selina looked over at the clock beside her bed - 11:30 am. Due to her late nights, sleeping in until the afternoon was normal practice. She rolled back onto her back and stretched out. Her day was pretty open today so maybe a relaxing day at home wasn't the worst idea.

She grabbed a pair of well-worn jogging pants and her favourite Hello Kitty t-shirt (she always found the irony amusing) and walked into the kitchen. As she opened the refrigerator, the emptiness inside reminded her that a trip to the grocery store was in order. Turning on the coffee maker, she leant on the counter and checked her laptop again. There was a message waiting for her in the chatroom.

SP101: New wish list.

Kitten: What can Santa get you?

SP101: Use cypher A.

SP101: hwcaeytne swsierle knreotw rmeats reendco

SP101: Compensation will be worth your while.

Selina took the letters and entered them into the cypher. The words spelled out:

*Waynetech Wireless Network Master Encoder*

This was not what she expected at all. Stealing works of art or jewellery was one thing, this was a whole different ball game. She had read something in the Gotham Gazette about the latest upgrades by Waynetech to their wireless network. Apparently, these upgrades made it the most secure network in the world. Getting the master encoder would allow someone to access the network with great ease.

Selina started to get a very bad feeling about this request. This client was not looking to simply make some money. This was for something much bigger and the only possible outcome was going to be trouble for the whole city. She did not want any part of this.

Kitten: I think this request is too big for me.

SP101: You haven't heard what the compensation is yet.

Kitten: Won't make a difference.

SP101: Check your e-mail.

Selina felt a cold chill pass through her body. There was a reason why she conducted all of her business through the anonymous chatrooms. Even though she used an alias for everything that required a name, she wanted to keep her work at more than arm's length. There was a message in the inbox under her Irena Dubrovna address. As she opened the e-mail, Selina let out a gasp.

Staring back at her was Holly. She was gagged and there were tears that ran down her face. A gun was pointed to her head by an arm that disappeared out of frame. At the bottom of the picture was a copy of today's Gotham Gazette to prove the date. There was one sentence in the e-mail: Do we have your attention?

 _How the hell did they know about Holly? How did they grab her?_

A storm of emotions flowed through Selina's mind. She wanted to find whoever did this and tear them apart. Holly was completely innocent and had nothing to do with Catwoman. She felt violated on a level that was indescribable. As the anger and rage started to consume her, Selina lashed out and kicked a massive dent into the refrigerator. She went back to her laptop to read the newest message.

SP101: Pier 14, Gotham docks, 3 days.

SP101: Do not fail, for her sake.

Selina slammed her laptop shut and started to think. First order of business was to get out the apartment and find another place ASAP. She knew she could do this quickly as every apartment she had was set up with the chance she would have to leave at a moment's notice.

As for the encoder, that was a major problem. She did not know where to even begin to look for it. Plus, it was probably in an extremely secure location that would be nearly impossible to break in to. This was the kind of score that would never be on her to-do list. But what choice did she have? She could not go to the police. They would never find Holly in time and it would mean revealing that Selina was Catwoman.

 _I'm so sorry I got you into this Holly. I swear I'm gonna find a way to get you out of this._

Selina started packing her essential things. She would find another apartment soon, but she had to find a way to save Holly. As she racked her brain for an idea, a thought crossed her mind that might work…but she did not like it. However, it was probably the only way to get Holly back alive.

* * *

In the streets of Gotham, the silence of the night was interrupted by the Batmobile. Batman was on his way to Wayne Tower to meet with Lucius Fox. These late night meetings usually meant something new for the Batmobile. As Batman approached the decoy sewer entrance that masked a secret underground tunnel to Wayne Tower, he noticed a bright light in the night sky; the bat-signal.

"Lucius, I am going to have to postpone our meeting temporarily", he spoke over the intercom. "Looks like Captain Gordon needs me".

"Understood Bruce, we can do this another night", was the response.

Batman changed direction towards police headquarters and increased his speed. Once he was in visual range, he slowed and eventually parked the Batmobile in a nearby alleyway. He exited the vehicle, set the security defence system and used his grapple-gun to ascend to the roof of police headquarters. As he landed on the roof, Batman walked towards the bat-signal.

"Jim"?

Batman looked around and saw no one in earshot. As he scanned the rooftop, he heard a sharp screeching sound. He turned around and saw a black glove scratching the surface of the bat-signal. He followed the glove up the face of the bat-signal and saw a shadowy figure lying across the top.

"Hey there Bats, did you miss me"? He immediately recognized the voice.

"This is not a toy, Catwoman", Batman said sternly. "What are you doing here"?

"You never gave me your number", she replied as she slowly slid off the signal. "How else can I get in contact with you"?

"You didn't answer my question".

"Oh, you're always so serious, aren't you"? She walked towards him, but the playful tone disappeared.

"I'm not quite sure how to put this and it pains me to say it, but…I need your help".

 **To be continued in chapter 5...**


	5. Chapter 5

Time for our favourite couple to start working together. Thanks again for all the feedback, I really appreciate it!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

Batman grabbed the switch for the bat-signal and turned it off.

"What do you mean you need my help? In case you forgot, you're a criminal and I should be dragging you downstairs and booking you into custody".

"Trust me, the last person I want to be asking for help from is you", Catwoman responded. "Can you drop the cop act for a second and hear me out"?

"Alright, I'm listening". Batman could see the sincerity in her face.

"Okay…so those jewels you took from me the other night? Let's say that my client was a little pissed when I couldn't deliver".

"Your client?" Batman quizzed.

"What, did you think I just stole this stuff because I'm some kind of kleptomaniac? Please, give me a little more credit than that", Catwoman sneered.

Batman stood silently and did not respond.

"Anyways", she continued, "I have no problem handling my clients on my own. As you can tell, I'm a big girl." A mischievous grin appeared briefly to her lips.

"But", as she returned to her serious tone, "this is different. For the first time, I got someone else involved and they are completely innocent".

"What you mean someone else is involved? What happened?" Batman asked.

Catwoman looked down and realized that this was tougher than she thought. Thinking of Holly, locked away in some dingy basement somewhere, scared for her life…and it was Catwoman's fault. She bit her lip and forced herself to continue.

"They took…Hol…Holly". She choked back her tears saying this.

Batman put one hand on Catwoman's shoulder and used his other to slowly lift up her chin so they could make eye contact again.

"Okay, tell me who Holly is".

Catwoman took a second to compose herself before she continued.

"Holly is a girl…a teenager…who I look after. She was an orphan who grew up on the streets. She was mixed up with the wrong people and got forced into a prostitution ring. She did not have anyone else so I took her in and helped her turn her life around. I guess I saw some of myself in her..."

She paused for a moment and tried to regain her composure.

"And let me make it clear to you, she has nothing to do with my activities". She grabbed Batman's shoulders as she said this. "And those bastards took her"!

Listening to Catwoman struck a cord with Batman. Her story about Holly could so easily have been about many others in Gotham. Batman himself had been in the same position. Memories began to flood in of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. He had mentored Dick to channel his grief into Robin and become a beacon for good in Gotham. But Dick ultimately chose to move forward alone and left to Blüdhaven under his new moniker of Nightwing. Batman did the same with Jason, but he was murdered by the Joker. Batman had lost two protégés and did not have the heart to take another.

"I understand Catwoman…I've…lost people too". He moved his hand to her cheek in a consoling manner.

"Thanks Bats". She felt a little more at ease with Batman's apparent compassion.

"One thing that seems strange to me is their rationale", he thought aloud. "It seems extreme in the least that they would go to these lengths for some jewellery".

"That's the other reason why I came to you, they want something else. Something that is bad news for the whole of Gotham."

"So, you're a thief with a heart are you"? Batman saw that she did not appreciate the comment.

"You might only think of me as a thief, but I'm not some psychopath who wants to destroy the city and everyone inside of it. Believe it or not, Gotham is my home". Catwoman took a step back and turned away from Batman.

"I'm going to help you Catwoman", he offered, "what did they want from you"?

She slowly turned around and answered. "They want the master encoder for the Waynetech wireless network…I told you it was bad news".

Batman immediately realized the gravity of their target. Control of the network would put Gotham in a precarious situation. And it makes sense that they would try to get Catwoman to steal it. He knew that it was about as secure as anything in Gotham, but she still might be able to take it especially with the motivation of Holly's life being on the line.

"Alright, we have to figure out who they are…do you have any idea who it could be?", he asked.

"No, my only communication was anonymously through a chatroom", she answered. "Well, they also sent an e-mail to me, but I don't think I really want to share an alias with you."

"Do you want to save Holly or not? I might be able learn something about them through that e-mail".

Catwoman hesitated and Batman could sense why.

"Look, I understand your trepidation. But right now, I am concerned about finding Holly, her captors and stopping whatever else they have planned. You and I are calling a truce for now".

"Alright Batman", Catwoman replied and allowed herself a small smile.

With that, Batman raised his arm and began to type into the screen. "What's the e-mail address"?

"It's irena dot dubrovna at wtw dot com ", she answered. "The password is…"

"Don't need it", he replied matter-of-factly as he knew the Batcomputer would get him access.

"Is that even legal?", she quipped. "Are you a part-time hacker when you're home in your cave"?

Batman ignored her jab and sent one back. "I'm not sure if the main character from the Cat People is the best alias for your persona".

"Look at you mister Trivial Pursuit", she replied with a grin enjoying the banter. "Wait, you probably just looked that up on your Bat i-pad or whatever that is".

Catwoman slowly backed up into Batman to try and see what he was looking at.

"I won't be able trace exactly where the e-mail came from, but maybe I can find the hosting server. That could give us something to start with". Even though he was concentrating on the electronic trace, having Catwoman so close again was distracting to put it mildly.

"I have some funny cat videos I can send you if you give me your e-mail address", she offered, "Might cheer you up while you're brooding in the Batcave".

"Believe it or not, I do have activities that keep me entertained", Batman replied.

"Really?", Catwoman immediately perked up, "You have to tell me what you do for fun when I'm not around. Is there a lady Bat I should know about"?

Thankfully for Batman, the trace came back with an answer before he had to respond to her.

"Damn", was Batman's first reaction.

"Why…where did it come from?", Catwoman asked.

"The hosting server used to send the e-mail is in Santa Prisca".

"What does that mean"? She was getting nervous based on Batman's reaction.

"Bane".

"Oh shit". Catwoman only knew of Bane through reputation and that was enough to scare her.

"I have to assume that Bane is on his way to Gotham or is already here. Catwoman, what are the details for the exchange"?

"I'm supposed to bring the encoder to pier 14 at Gotham docks in two days" she replied.

Batman's mind was already formulating multiple scenarios as to a plan.

"That should give enough time to put a plan together", he explained. "I am going to get a press release from Waynetech that a break-in occurred, but nothing important was taken."

"How would that help?", Catwoman asked.

"It's the type of statement a large company makes when a critical break-in actually happened and they do not want anyone to panic. It also gives you some proof that you successfully stole the encoder.

"So…why would they come out and say that?" She was very curious as to where Batman was going with this.

"Bruce Wayne owes me a favour or two". Batman chucked inside his head.

"Really? What, did he need you to get rid of some socialite he knocked up"?

 _Is that how people think about Bruce Wayne these days? Maybe I should work on that._

"Very funny", Batman replied without laughing. "I've helped his company save face in the past so he's willing to help me if I ever ask. He's surprisingly not as bad as the media makes him out to be.

Catwoman thought back to her encounter with Bruce Wayne and conceded that Batman could be partially right.

"If you say so Bats".

Batman had a question that he needed to ask, but it was not a question he wanted to ask.

"Look, this is only going to succeed if we work together. Bane would not expect you get my help so that element of surprise will allow us to save Holly. Also, this might be the best chance to stop Bane and whatever plot he had for Gotham. I have to ask…Catwoman, can I trust you"?

Catwoman was stunned by what Batman said. Not because she felt insulted, but the fact that he reached out to her and asked for her trust. A flicker of hope passed through her mind. Maybe there was something more between them, more than just a physical spark? Even though they were on opposite sides of the law, she actually felt…safe with him. And despite his bravado, he seemed to hold back when he was with her. They were more alike than perhaps either of them thought or wanted to admit.

She looked straight at him with her response, "Yes, you can trust me".

Batman reached into his utility belt and pulled out transmitter.

"Use this to contact me when you are ready. Don't worry, it won't broadcast your location until you press the button".

Before Catwoman took it from Batman's hand, she slid her arms underneath his arms and around his back. She then rested her head on his chest to complete a firm hug. Batman was initially caught by surprise, but moved an arm around her back and his other hand was placed gently behind her head. Compared to their previous encounters, the connection was different. The charged passion was replaced with genuine care. It was the type of hug neither of them had felt in a long time.

As Catwoman moved to pull away, she looked up at Batman and softly kissed his cheek.

"Thank you" she whispered. She then took the transmitter and disappeared into the night.

Batman turned around and prepared to leave when he was greeted by a loud crash as the door on the roof burst open. A figure stumbled out breathing heavily and called out to Batman.

"I saw the bat-signal so I rushed over as fast as possible. What's going on Batman"?

It was Captain Gordon of the GCPD.

"False alarm Jim", Batman replied. "You might want to put a lock-out on the signal switch. You never know who might be up here some nights".

"Those goddamn kids and their pranks", he responded angrily.

"On the bright side, I actually wanted to ask you something". Seeing Gordon had given Batman an idea.

"Do you have any plans two days from now"?

 **To be continued in chapter 6...**


	6. Chapter 6

Time for some action! Thank you all for the reviews.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6**

Gotham Docks – night of the exchange.

Batman sat perched on a warehouse roof that overlooked pier 14. Using the thermal imagery in his cowl, he scanned the pier multiple times. He had already performed a sweep searching for electronic surveillance devices and was confident there were none. Based on the reconnaissance, he felt ready.

"I've completed my sweep. I count seven human heat sources and an eighth that looks to be inside a van. I'm hoping that one is Holly".

Batman turned to look at Catwoman. She was lying on the roof beside him, stretched out like the proverbial cat she was.

"Are you sure that's all of them?", she enthused, "I'm pretty sure there's one more heat source and she's the hottest one of all". As she spoke, Batman could felt her foot caressing the outside of his leg.

"Focus Catwoman, we are trying to save Holly, remember".

"I am focused", she snapped back, "and I haven't forgotten why we're here. I'm just trying to take the edge off a little bit, keep my emotions in check, understand"?

 _It may be an odd coping mechanism, but she's right. Controlling your emotions is difficult, especially when someone you care about is involved. I of all people should know that._

"Fair enough", was his response, "I understand how difficult this is".

"Wow, I never expected this much compassion from you", she said with a grin, "what happened to the brooding Dark Knight we all know and love"?

Batman ignored her.

"We're ready", he exclaimed. "Are you good to go Catwoman"?

She looked at him and nodded, "yes".

"I have something for you". Batman took some items out of his utility belt.

"These are special ear plugs that cancel out high-frequency sound", he explained. "They will allow normal sounds to pass so put them in your ears now. I have some sonic Batarangs and these will protect you from their effects".

"Not exactly diamond earrings, but I'll guess they'll do for now", she answered as she inserted them into her ears.

Batman then passed her some spherical objects.

"These are distraction devices that emit an intense burst of light that will disorientate anyone who looks at the flash. Be sure to close your eyes before you throw them".

Catwoman took them and placed them in a small pouch on her hip.

"I realize that all the girls love flashy things, but this ridiculous", she chuckled.

"Alright, you know what to do Catwoman, good luck". Batman turned to leave.

"Batman, wait", she called.

As Batman turned around, Catwoman moved in close and kissed him on his lips.

"Why…what was that for?", was all Batman could say.

"In case you don't have the chance to later". She then turned and left the warehouse roof.

 _In terms of motivation, I think that might be most enjoyable._

* * *

Catwoman stealthily moved towards the meeting point at pier 14. She had faith in Batman's reconnaissance, but she did not become a master thief by being complacent. As she peered around the wall of the warehouse, she could see a white van near the streetlight. There were two armed men standing in front of it. She could not see the other five Batman had picked out. She saw that the building behind the van had an open door and figured they would be inside.

She took a deep breath and walked out from the shadows towards the van.

One the men by the van saw her and brought his rifle to his shoulder.

"You! Stop right there", he ordered.

"Relax big boy, I'm supposed to be here", she casually answered.

As she continued towards the van, the other man came towards her, looking at her attentively.

"My eyes are up here by the way" as she watched him scan her over.

"Where is the encoder"? The first man asked the question.

"Oh, it's nearby", Catwoman responded. "You didn't think I would just bring it to you and let you shoot me and take it"?

"If you don't have it, the girl is dead", he growled.

"Don't worry, I got it. That being said, it wasn't easy", she explained, "and it was quite funny to see the statement from Waynetech saying nothing was stolen. I guess they had to cover the up the incompetence of the guards I took out."

"I'm getting tired of your stalling, you better…", he tried to say before Catwoman cut him off.

"You need to show me Holly before this goes any further"!

The next voice she heard came from the building behind the van.

"You are in no position to negotiate, _gatita_ ", said a voice with a Latin accent.

Catwoman saw a large figure exit the building. He was nearly seven feet tall and looked to be at least 300 pounds of muscle. His face was completely covered by a black and white _lucha libre_ mask with red eyelets. He walked with the irrepressible confidence of a man who knew how intimidating he was.

"Bane?", she asked.

"Speak of _el diablo_ , and he shall appear". As Bane answered, two more armed men joined the group.

Catwoman started to feel very vulnerable as the four men circled around her. Even though she and Batman had made a plan, the here and now was almost too real to bare.

"You have one minute to bring the encoder to me", Bane ordered while snapping his fingers.

Two more men came out of the building and opened the rear doors of the van. They grabbed someone from the van and threw them roughly onto the ground. One man took a handful of the person's hair and proceeded to place a large knife at her throat. A gag only allowed for muffled noises to escape.

"HOLLY…"! Catwoman screamed and attempted to move towards her.

She felt a crushing grip on her throat as she was lifted up off the ground. As she put her hands on the large arm holding her up in an attempt to lessen the strain on her neck, she found herself face-to-face with Bane.

"You will bring me the encoder, or your _chica_ will slowly have her head removed from her body. And the last thing she will see is your body torn limb from limb by my bare hands".

To illustrate the point, Bane began to squeeze Catwoman's neck. Struggling to breathe, all she could do was nod meekly in response.

Bane released his grip and dropped her to the ground. Catwoman immediately began to cough as air rushed back into her lungs.

As she slowly got back to her feet, she heard a thud as an object bounced off the man to her right and landed on the ground. As everyone looked down at the blinking object, Catwoman recognized the shape and grinned.

The sonic Batarang stopped blinking and released a sharp, piercing sound that caused everyone to immediately raise their hands to their ears. Everyone, accept Catwoman, who heard a loud noise, but nothing more than that.

She quickly unfurled her bullwhip and flung it at the man to her left. As it wrapped around his neck, she yanked him towards her and unleashed a vicious kick directly into his face. The loud crack as her boot met his jaw was accompanied by multiple teeth that were dislodged by the force of the strike. The man was unconscious before he hit the ground.

As she turned to face her next opponent, she saw in the background that Batman had already taken out the one man who was holding Holly and was in the midst of driving his fist into the head of the second man. The force knocked the man into the side of the van and Batman followed through with a flying knee that put him out for the count. Within seconds, they had already taken out three men.

Batman quickly ran to Holly and grabbed her around the waist. Holding her tightly, he took out his grapple-gun and aimed at the nearest roof top. As they were pulled through the air, Batman landed on the roof and used a sharpened Batarang to free Holly from her restraints.

"Stay here, you'll be safe", he told her assuredly. "I have to go and help your friend".

Like a flash, he dove off the roof and glided back towards the fracas.

In the meanwhile, Catwoman had disabled another attacker with flurry of slashes to the face with her claws. As he dropped to the ground, she spun around and used her whip to slap the arms of the remaining two as they attempted to regain their rifles. As she reared her whip back for another throw, a vice-like grip grabbed her arm and threw her across the ground. As she skidded along the concrete, she saw that it was Bane and he had thrown her at least fifteen feet.

As Batman saw Catwoman fly across the ground, he broke his glide and dove feet first into Bane's back. The impact caused Bane to lose his footing, but he did not go down. Batman sprung up off the ground and watched his massive opponent turn to face him.

"Interesting, the Batman has come to the aid of a common thief", Bane remarked. "You made a mistake _pendejo_ , I'm going to enjoy breaking you".

Batman leapt forward and drove his knee into Bane's stomach, following it with a hard strike to Bane's jaw with his fist. The ferocity of the hits would have disabled a normal man, but they merely caused Bane to take a step back. Displaying speed that belied a man of his size, Bane countered with quick punch that caught Batman flush in the face.

The impact smashed the white lens over his right eyelet and sent fragments into the skin around his eye. Batman luckily had his eye closed at the moment of impact, but as he opened it, he felt the stinging sensation of blood dripping into it. Trying to recover, he felt another violent impact as Bane drove his foot into Batman's chest. The armour prevented his ribcage from being shattered, but the sheer force drove him to the ground, briefly knocking the wind from him.

Bane stood over Batman and reached down, grabbing him by the back of the neck and proceeding to left him over his head.

"I told you I would break you", Bane proclaimed.

As Batman tried in vain to break free, he heard Catwoman's voice yell something out and then the whole pier lit up like a hundred spotlights were turned on at once. He suddenly felt himself fall from Bane's grasp and he rolled away as he landed on the ground.

As he looked up, he saw Bane's hands over his masked face from the blinding flash. He could also see Catwoman standing prone over two bodies as she bashed both heads into the ground. Knowing that he had to use this moment to regain advantage, Batman got to his feet and swept his leg against the inside of Bane's right knee. A As the impact caused Bane to partially lose his footing, Batman jumped towards him and drove his knee into the area where Bane's nose should be. As Bane stumbled backwards from the force of the hit, Batman saw Catwoman and called out to her.

"Use your whip" and he extended his arm as a target.

Catwoman saw what Batman was doing and figured out what he wanted to do. She sprinted towards Batman and flung her whip at his arm. As it wrapped around his arm, Batman pulled with all his strength just as Catwoman jumped into the air. Using the combined force, Catwoman was thrust through the air with huge momentum and drove both her feet into the side of Bane's head. This knocked Bane off his feet and he crashed onto the ground.

As Catwoman landed on her feet, Batman activated his cowl's intercom.

"Gordon, now"!

From the other side of the pier, three vans turned on their lights and raced towards the scene.

"What the hell is going on, we never talked about cops…", Catwoman exclaimed before Batman cut her off by taking her in his arm and used his grapple-gun to rappel them to a distant roof top.

As they landed, Batman saw the vans screech to a halt and three squads of SWAT officers immediately surrounded the stunned Bane. Another car arrived at the scene and Captain Gordon exited the vehicle.

"Jim, the girl is on the roof directly across from you", Batman explained, "and make sure she is treated with the utmost care, this was a very trying ordeal for her".

"Will do Batman and we're going to take every precaution with Bane. He is not escaping again".

"Let's hope so."

Batman turned to Catwoman who's face looked ready to explode.

"Are you going to tell me what exactly is happening right now? I'm not just going to leave Holly alone with these cops." Catwoman almost spat the words out at Batman.

"Look, I had to involve the police in order to make sure Bane was stopped", he explained, "but I did not tell them about your involvement. For Holly's sake, I didn't want her connection to you to come to light. Don't forget, the police still want to arrest you".

Catwoman held back as she let Batman continue.

"This way, she can get treatment and her connection to you doesn't mess things up. When she's recovered, you can go as your alter-ego and take her home. And no one has to know about Catwoman's involvement. I couldn't tell you about the police because you wouldn't have gone through with this. But I had to think about the city's safety above everything else. Yet, I wasn't going to hang you out to dry either".

Even though she didn't like being kept in the dark, she understood Batman's logic. She also wasn't too stubborn to see that he could have left her to deal with the police and the potential repercussions with Holly. As her initial anger subsided, she looked at Batman and saw the blood seeping down his face.

"Are you alright?", she asked as she wiped away some of the blood from his face.

"It's not as bad as it looks", he answered, "How about you, are you okay"?

"I'm fine, just a couple bruises I think. I made sure that all the hurt went to those guys there", as she pointed down. "You know what, we made a good team out there tonight, wouldn't you say"?

Batman thought about it and had to agree. It was almost uncanny how well they worked together.

"I guess you're right", he agreed. "So where do we go from here? I don't see how we can work together if you remain a criminal".

"Jesus Bats, why is everything so black or white in your mind?", Catwoman said with some frustration. "Can't you step into the world of gray for a change? At least, for a little while"?

Batman could see that there was a genuine sincerity to what she said. As much as he knew his developing relationship with a criminal was wrong, he was finding comfort with Catwoman in a way he thought wasn't possible.

"Alright", was his response.

Catwoman smiled warmly.

"Come on, let's go and get that injury of yours looked at", she said happily and took his hand. "I've got a place where we can lay low for a while".

 **To be continued in chapter 7...**


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter has a little more mature content and language than previous chapters.

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

"Do I even want to ask?", Batman wondered aloud as they entered the penthouse of Belle Suites tower.

"It's okay, the owner is somewhere in the Caribbean right now", Catwoman explained, "and no, you don't want to ask. You're joining me in the grey tonight, remember"?

Batman snorted, but it was affirmative enough.

"Were you born brooding, or did it take years of practice?", she asked as she walked over to the kitchen.

Being in a well-lit environment allowed Batman to fully appreciate Catwoman's form. As she stood over the sink, he could not stop staring at her. It was like a purple magnet to his eyes. Catwoman, astute as ever, could sense Batman's longing looks.

"So Bats...what part of me are you enjoying specifically?", she called out without turning around.

"I...uh", was all he could muster.

Catwoman loved when she made Batman this uncomfortable.

"If you were looking at anything other than my ass", she confidently spoke while turning around, "I might feel insulted. Do you know how many squats this took"?

Once again, Batman was at a lost for words. Her confidence and directness were something he could barely handle.

"Aw, you make it so easy for me", Catwoman said with a big grin. "Here, take this", and she gave Batman a wet towel.

Batman took it and sat down on one of the large sofas in the penthouse. He started to wipe the drying blood off his face. His mask was in the way of where most of the wounding was.

"You're probably going to have to take that off to clean the wounds", she pointed out as she sat beside him on the sofa.

"Is that why you brought me here? To find out who I am?", Batman asked.

"No, but would it be the worst idea in the world? Catwoman put her hand on Batman's shoulder as she continued. "I realized tonight that despite our differences, I can actually trust you. That is a very difficult thing for me and I imagine that it is for you too".

"It is", Batman replied, but he stirred uncomfortably, not sure how deal with the emotion of the moment. As he stammered and tried to speak, Catwoman put a finger to his lips.

"Before you say anything, can you use your normal voice with me"? I don't know what you sound like and I...I just want to feel like I'm talking to you and not a robot...I know it sounds dumb, but I…"

Batman turned off the modulator in his cowl and stopped her in mid-sentence.

"I hope you're not disappointed".

"I had some pretty low expectations so you're good", she teased, "but thanks, this is better. Keep talking, I'm not letting you change subjects".

Batman could see that there was no way to deflect this conversation.

"Look at what happened to Holly", he continued, "that's why I wear the mask, to protect the people close to me".

"You're right…of course you're right", she said shaking her head. "But is it worth the loneliness that comes with it".

"I…I…", Batman trailed off, not sure how to answer.

Catwoman took her right leg and swung it around Batman's body. Now sitting in his lap, she put her hands on both his shoulders and looked directly at him.

"There's something between us, something…special", she said sincerely. "You and me. Bat and Cat. In the dark. Making sparks. Connections like this don't happen all the time."

"Catwoman, it's not that simple, we…" he tried to say.

"Sometimes in life you have to take a chance, a leap of faith". She leaned in closer, "Finding someone who understands you, who can take the loneliness away".

Before Batman could answer, Catwoman put her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. He did not struggle and let himself get lost in the moment. He felt the same electricity pulse through him as he did the last time they embraced. Time stood still and Batman almost forgot the ills of the world.

"Mmmm", she sighed as she pulled back. "Like I said, making sparks. I can tell you want to let go…why are you denying yourself"?

 _She's right, I want to just let go and lose myself in her. Why can't I find happiness like a normal person?_

Catwoman was still in Batman's lap and she had intention of letting him escape.

"Talk to me Bats. What's eating away at you in that head of yours"?

"I made a vow, a long time ago, to defend the innocent from evil. That vow came out of great pain and loss. I have dedicated my life to try and stop those who would inflict that pain on others".

"Why are you doing this", she asked, "what did you lose"?

"My parents were murdered". This topic was always tough for Batman. But it was so easy to talk to her.

"How old were you when it happened"?

"I was ten", Batman answered.

"I lost my parents too", she replied. "My mom committed suicide and my dad was an alcoholic who drank himself to death. I grew up in foster homes".

There was a brief silence as their shared tragedies sunk in.

"Let's forget about the past", Catwoman said breaking the silence, "forget about the pain and sadness. We have something between us…let's just focus on that and live for this moment…together".

She put her hands behind Batman's head and pulled him in in for another kiss. This time the kiss was harder, more lustful, even more emotional. Batman matched her intensity, forcefully using his tongue to breach her lips. Together, their tongues fought and wrestled for domination, creating fireworks of passion. His hands finally started to wander, exploring and caressing her body which was greeted with moans of appreciation.

"Well it's about time" she exclaimed as they finally came up for air. "I'm surprised you could resist this long".

"You sure as Hell didn't make it easy for me", Batman responded.

"You're damn right I didn't", she said and kissed him again.

Batman now found himself in carnal cruise control. He stood up from the couch with Catwoman still wrapped around him. Holding her tightly, he carried her towards the nearest wall and pinned her against it. She exhaled forcefully as her back hit the wall, but she did not release her grip on him.

"Now this is what I was hoping for when you talked about doing things the hard way", she squealed and proceeded to slap him playfully across the face.

Undeterred, Batman took one of her arms and held it against the wall above her head. Still holding her off the ground, he leaned into her neck and bit down. The material of her suit covered her skin, but the pressure of his teeth drove her wild.

"Oh…yes…", was all she could muster. Involuntarily, her free hand slowly scraped down the side of Batman's head, the nails leaving scratches on the cowl and a slight nick on his exposed face.

Batman recoiled slightly and let out an audible "ouch".

"Sorry, I guess I couldn't control myself", she said semi-apologetically, "put me down for a second".

Once her feet were back on the ground, Catwoman started to take off her gloves. Batman decided to follow suit and took his off as well. He wanted to touch her with his bare hands. He took her hands and felt a charge as their skin came together for the first time. Her skin felt so soft and he wanted to touch more.

As she looked up at Batman, Catwoman decided to make a bold move.

"I don't care anymore", she exclaimed, "I want to be free…free of everything…and I want you to be free with me. Let go and it can be just us tonight…nothing else. I want the real us to be together".

She slowly slipped her fingers beneath her mask and pulled upwards, revealing her whole face as she removed her cowl and dropped it to the floor. As she ran her hands through her hair, Batman stared at her beautiful face and was able to make the connection.

"Selina"?

"You…you know my real name?", she answered with genuine surprise.

"We met…out of costume", was his response. "Your hair was different though".

"Really? I would've expected that meeting to be quite memorable". She put her hands to his face and continued, "You can trust me. Put the mask aside for tonight and let's just be normal together".

Batman fought back his natural instinct to resist what was happening. His identity was his bedrock secret and here he was, about to reveal it to Catwoman…to Selina. He had programmed his mind to believe that this secret should never be revealed. But she had revealed herself to him and if anyone could understand him, it was her.

He pressed a small button the base of his neck which separated the cowl from his neck guard. He lifted up his cowl gently to avoid the injured area by his eye and held it in his hands as he looked back at Selina.

"Oh my God. Bruce…Bruce Wayne", was her shocked response. "Now I remember our meeting".

"Does this change things", he asked, "I don't recall you being overly impressed when we met".

"No, this is not bad at all", she said with a grin. "I admit, my very first impression wasn't great, but you began to grow on me. Now I am really interested in seeing where Batman and Bruce Wayne meet".

"You left an impression on me Selina", he responded, "Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about your eyes...both yours and Catwoman's".

"Really? Do you I have to be jealous of myself?" she chuckled. "Why don't you tell me exactly what you were thinking".

"I thought they were as beautiful as emeralds...sorry, kind of lame", was his answer.

"No, that's very sweet", Selina smiled at the compliment. "Speaking of eyes, lets clean yours. I need you in full, working order".

Selina walked back to the sofa and took the wet cloth. As she carefully cleaned the wound, she commented, "there, now I can see your eyes properly. And I like what I see".

Bruce attempted to say something. Once again, she put a finger to his lips.

"The next words to come out of your mouth Bruce", she whispered seductively, "will be telling me how to get your suit off. Anything else can wait until morning".

Taking the hint, Bruce guided her hands to the latches of his armour and helped her remove it from his body. Once all the armour was on the floor at their feet, Selina lifted his compression shirt over his head and ran her hands over his bare chest.

"Wow", she exclaimed as she caressed his chest and then moved downwards to his muscular and defined stomach. "You're put together pretty well...really well".

Selina's hands then moved to the utility belt, unclasping the buckle and it too fell to the floor. With a grin, she pushed pushed Bruce back onto the couch and extended her right leg towards him.

"A little help", she teased alluringly.

Bruce held her foot with his left hand and used his right hand to slowly unzip her thigh-high boot. Dropping the boot to the floor, did the same with her left boot.

"Now for the part you're really gonna like", Selina remarked.

She turned around and sat on top of Bruce's lap. She took his hand and led it to the small zipper at back of her neck. Not needing any additional encouragement, he pulled the zipper all the way down to her lower back. As the fabric separated, it was very clear that there was nothing else under her suit. As he gently moved his hands across her bare shoulder blades, Bruce positioned his mouth above her lower back. Using his tongue, he delicately followed her spine from her lower back to the nape of her neck.

Selina felt herself begin to shiver uncontrollably with delight. She arched her back and tried to squirm away, but she could not escape his grip. As his tongue reached the back of her neck and began travel down the side towards her collarbone, she let out a loud gasp of pleasure.

"Oh...Bruce...if you're trying...to tease me...mission accomplished"!

"I think we need to change locations", Bruce decided aloud and spun Selina around as he lifted her up again.

With her legs wrapped like boa constrictors around his waist and her lips firmly pressed against his own, he found it somewhat challenging to walk over to the bedroom. Finally reaching the room, he managed to pry Selina off and threw her onto the large and plush bed. Seeing her on the bed, with her suit partially off, but not yet exposing anything below her shoulders, raised his level of excitement even more.

"I'm going to eat you alive tonight Bats", Selina exclaimed with a lustful grin.

As she crawled on all fours across the bed, Bruce could not take his eyes off her deep valley of cleavage that revealed itself as her suit fell away from her body. Reaching him, Selina started removing what remained of his clothing until he stood naked before her.

"Mmm, you do like what you see", she remarked sultrily at his obvious arousal. "Now I know where that confident bravado comes from".

She then raised an eyebrow and teasingly bit her lower lip which nearly drove Bruce over the edge.

"Selina, you might be the sexiest being I've ever encountered", he said as he finally started to remove her suit.

Once she was in the same state of undress, Bruce gazed at her luscious nude body and almost had to smack himself as a reminder that this was actually happening.

"I take it back, you ARE the sexiest being I've ever encountered".

Selina slowly lay back on the bed and alluringly stretched her arms above her head while twisting her hips.

"Are you going to keep inflating my ego with words", she responded with come-hither eyes, "or come fuck my brains out"?

Accepting the challenge, Bruce kneeled at the side of the bed, grabbed her by the hips and pulled her towards him. He parted her legs and made sure to wrap his arms around them to lock her in place. As he looked first at her dark mound of Venus and then back into her eyes, a wry smile emerged.

"It's funny", he remarked assuredly, "looks like I'm the one going down tonight".

As Bruce commenced his oral adventure, Selina started to wonder if she had truly met her match...not that she was complaining!

 **To be concluded in chapter 8...**

* * *

Author's Note: I took a line directly from Batman issue #392 that I always liked and helped inspire my story.


	8. Chapter 8

Final chapter everyone – thank you all for sticking around until the end.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

"OH MY GOD"!

These words were said together almost simultaneously as Bruce and Selina both crashed back onto the bed.

Selina looked over at Bruce and smiled. Seeing him breathing heavily as he lay on the bed with his eyes closed felt like a conquest to her. And what a battle it had been!

"I think that was the most enjoyable workout I've ever had", she remarked with short breaths.

Bruce opened his eyes and glanced over her body that was glistening with perspiration. As sexy as he thought she was before, this post-coital look may have elevated her ever further.

"You could say that again", was about all he could muster.

Slowly rising up from the bed, Bruce sat up and started to stretch his arms upward. He then bent forward and started to stretch his back. Suddenly, Selina let out a small chuckle.

"Uh, sorry about that", she said with a grin.

"Sorry about what?" he replied.

"These", she said as her fingers traced the deep red lines across is back.

Bruce got out of the bed and walked over to mirror by the bedroom closet and turned around to see the damage. To say his back looked like a Jackson Pollock painting would probably be an understatement.

"I don't think you're really sorry about these", he said.

"What can I say, guess I got caught up in the moment", was her response. "Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think I can walk right now".

Bruce smiled and walked back over to the bed. Removing the empty condom wrappers from the sheets, he got back under the covers and pulled Selina close to him.

"Are you a cuddler Bruce", she asked, "I have to admit I didn't expect that".

"Well…I normally don't, but…it just felt right…we don't have to if you d…"

"No, it's perfect Bruce", Selina said with a smile, "I was hoping we would".

With that, she rested her head on top of Bruce's chest and wrapped an arm around him. He matched her intimacy by kissing her forehead and then used his hand to stroke her hair.

As they lay together, there was a mutual reflection of their evening. The lustfulness of the night had been amazing for both and further confirmed the physical chemistry they possessed together. But there was a tenderness that was now following the raw passion and this had surprised them both.

"Selina, can I ask you a question"?

"Of course you can", she answered.

"Tell me about your childhood", Bruce asked.

Selina thought about the question for a second. Her natural reaction would be to raise her shields and deflect the approach. However, based on some of their previous conversations, she got the impression that Bruce was simply looking to find someone to relate to when it came to their childhoods.

Taking a deep breath, she started telling the story.

"After my mother killed herself, life got really bad. My dad always said I reminded him of her and it made him hate me even more than he already did. I spent most of my time trying to avoid his drunken rampages".

"One day, I finally found him dead after one of his binges. I called the cops and ran off while my sister stayed and was put into an orphanage. I lived on the streets for a while until I was picked up after stealing some food from a grocery store. They put me into an orphanage and I was in and out of those, foster homes and juvenile hall for the rest of my childhood".

"Do you see your sister at all?", he asked.

"Not anymore", she answered, "the last time I saw her, Maggie was a nun. Hopefully she's okay".

Hearing her story resonated deeply with Bruce.

"I'm sorry Selina", he said somberly, "I know how it feels to be alone".

"You don't have any siblings, right"?

"I was an only child", Bruce replied, "after my parents were murdered, all I had was Alfred".

"Who's Alfred"?

"He's…well…he's the family butler", Bruce said with some awkwardness. "I'm sure it makes me sound like a privileged silver spooner, but he raised me and he's all I've got".

"I can't really relate, but I'm glad you had someone", Selina said.

"You have Holly, that's someone".

"Yeah, I guess you're right", she agreed, "as much as I think I'm helping her, she's probably helping me just as much".

Both Bruce and Selina were surprised at their comfort level talking about their respective childhood traumas. Neither had opened up like this before, yet with each other, it came so easily. For these precious moments, all defences were down and it was just Selina and Bruce.

As they lay in a comfortable silence, Selina playfully started to slide her finger down his bare chest towards his stomach. She stopped at a circular section of scar tissue.

"I didn't really notice this before", she remarked, "I'm afraid to ask, because I think I know the answer".

Her question caused Bruce to reflect back in time. He could still remember the night, the searing hot pain as the bullet was slowed by his Kevlar suit, but still punched into his abdomen. Alfred's skills were definitely needed that evening.

"It was a bullet", he replied. "Happened during a bank robbery and the shooter got lucky. Forced me to upgrade my armour to what it is today".

Seeing the physical toll that Bruce was forced to endure, Selina felt a pang of remorse pass through her.

"Why do you put yourself through this Bruce?", she asked, "I understand that you want to avenge your parents, but do you have to suffer like this"?

"I don't know how to answer that", he replied with pained expression.

"Do you feel guilty"?

"I…don't think I understand what you mean".

"For your parents' death…do you feel…responsible"?

Hearing these words coming from Selina was like a hammer blow. This event had emotionally scarred Bruce deeply and it was a topic that he never talked about. Selina could immediately sense that this might be too much.

"I'm sorry Bruce…I wasn't trying to upset you", she said and put her hand to the side of his face.

"I know", was his reply, "this is not a subject that I handle well".

"Forget about it Bruce", Selina said and kissed him softly on the lips. "Let's get back to happier things".

She nestled her head back into Bruce's chest and let out a small sigh.

"Just talk to me about anything, I don't care what subject", she requested, "your voice is soothing".

Bruce obliged and started rambling on with complete banality. They stayed up together until after dawn and talked. About everything. And nothing. And anything in between.

* * *

Bruce opened his eyes to bright sunlight. Taking into account the intensity of the light and the orientation of the penthouse bedroom window, he figured the time to be around noon. He recalled seeing the sunrise before falling asleep.

As he continued moving his eyes, Bruce locked in on the mound of dark hair that was resting on his chest. He followed the long hair until it revealed bare skin, which then disappeared under a blanket. Trying to get a feel for his extremities without moving, Bruce felt a warm body partially covering his underneath the blanket.

Slowly, the figure moved and the mass of hair turned into face that looked up and smiled.

"Mmm…morning handsome", spoke a soft voice that was half a yawn, "I almost expected to wake up alone".

"You don't give me enough credit Selina", Bruce replied. "Besides my morning schedule was free today".

He suddenly felt sharp pinch on his inner thigh that caused him to hiss out loud.

"Jerk", she responded, "like you could have anything more important than me right now".

"Hey, all my gear is on the floor and haven't gone near it", he answered, "I'm still yours".

"Good".

Selina started to move and climbed on top of Bruce to look him in the eyes.

"Well, I know you're not going to say it…but that was a wonderful night".

"I was going to say it", Bruce replied with a smile, "I just wanted to hear you say it first".

"Aren't you the gentleman", she said, "and what chivalrous act are you planning next"?

"Well...how about brunch"?

"You cook Bruce?", Selina asked incredulously. "I would have expected Alfred to do all your cooking".

"He does, but he is also an excellent instructor", he answered. "Besides, let's me show off in front of whatever socialite I'm dating".

Selina's eyes immediately narrowed and a scowl appeared on her lips.

"Just kidding", Bruce quickly assured, "I've never cooked for anyone before so feel privileged".

"This better be a damn good brunch mister!", she demanded, but with a returning smile.

They both wrapped themselves in blankets and headed for the kitchen where Bruce went to work.

As they finished eating, Bruce knew he had to start thinking about leaving. The past day had been a blur and it was the first time in a long while that he had been out of touch with the world. That being said, the time spent with Selina was not something to regret. Quite the opposite in fact.

Bruce started putting on his suit and armour, under the watchful eye of Selina who was sitting on the sofa, still wrapped in the fleece blanket. Even though they had spent the past hours in the throws of passion, she still found it surreal that the man getting dressed in front of her was the Batman.

"It's funny", she remarked, "I never expected Batman to make the walk of shame from my condo".

"First of all, this is not your condo", he replied.

"Guilty as charged", Selina answered with a smile.

"Second, I don't walk…I jump off rooftops", he continued.

"That doesn't make you sound crazy at all", she said rolling her eyes.

"And third…well…I didn't do anything to be shameful about".

"That depends…some of the things we did together could be categorized that way".

Bruce raised his eyebrow as a response to her cheeky comment.

"Lighten up Bruce", she ordered, "you loved it. And…I've got no regrets too".

Selina got up off the couch and walked over to him.

"You could stay a little longer".

Bruce saw in her eyes that this was not a request for more passion, but one of companionship.

"I would like to, truly I would", he replied, "but I have to get back to Gotham".

Selina watched as Bruce put on his cowl and became Batman again. She could see how defending Gotham was an ingrained part of him and was something that looked irremovable.

"Do you ever think about stopping Bruce?", she asked.

"Gotham needs me to defend her…I can't stop".

Selina knew the answer before he replied. Even though she felt closer to him now, she could also see that his crusade against criminals of Gotham was something that could not be competed with.

"Bruce, where does this leave me?", she asked.

"What do you mean?", he replied.

"You mentioned before that you can't be with a criminal".

"Selina, I think you're different…", Batman started before being cut off.

"But I'm not…at least by your moral code", she said, "it's black or white for you…criminal or not a criminal…nothing in between".

Batman looked at Selina and could see the disappointment on her face. More than disappointment, almost an anger. But an anger not directed at him personally, more at his decision making.

"We could work together", he offered, "become partners…maybe, even more than partners".

Hearing this conflicted Selina immediately. On the one hand, building this relationship had instant appeal. Things could work with Bruce in a way it never could with anyone else. On the other hand, it would mean giving up some of who she was. Her life in the gray would no longer be possible.

"I don't know…we have something special together, I can't deny it", she started. "But part of why I do what I do is the thrill of it. It makes me happy…makes me feel alive. It's something that defines me and no one can take it away from me. I know you can appreciate that because you're the same".

"Not exactly, but I think I understand where you're coming from", he answered.

"I don't think you can separate yourself from the bat as much as I can separate myself from the cat. They're both part of who we are".

"Yes, you're right", he said. "but you understand that if you aren't working with me and continue your criminal ways…I have to stop you. I won't like it…but I have to stop you...I just have to".

Selina felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. She knew that was what Batman would say, but hearing it drove the point home.

"Yes, I understand", she answered. Her shoulders noticeably sunk and her eyes dropped to the floor.

Batman saw her reaction and put his hands on her arms. Gently, he pulled her closer to him.

"Selina, you're a good person…a great person", he enthused, "think of the good you could do for this city…think of what we could do together".

"Bruce…I don't know what to say". Her eyes began to glisten as the words left her mouth. "I'm grateful that you have such faith in me…but when you've been told your whole life that you're not a good person…and you'll never become a good person…you just can't change overnight because of…".

Selina was unable to finish her sentence as the tears turned into soft sobs. Batman pulled her into his arms where she buried her head into his chest plate. As he attempted to speak, she stopped him and pulled herself away.

"No, there's nothing you need to say".

Her eyes were still welled up with tears, but there was a sternness behind them. Not of anger, but one of purpose. He had shook her foundation and only she was going to decide what happened next.

"I'm going to check in on Holly and then I'm going to get out of Gotham for a while", she announced, "I need to lay low after what happened with Bane last night. I also need some time to myself…to think…reflect…consider…I don't know exactly what, but I need to do it".

"Alright Selina", Batman responded humbly, "I'm…sorry that I upset you".

"You said what needed to be said", Selina answered. "Look Bruce, please promise me you won't try to track me down. And I promise to think about what you said…about us".

She reached out and took one of his now gloved hands between both of hers. As she looked up at him, Batman saw sincerity and an equal measure of defiance that he knew he should not trifle with.

"I promise Selina".

"Thank you Bruce".

They came together one final time for a long embrace that was both an eternity and far too brief. He turned and walked towards the balcony under her watchful eyes. Before he jumped, he turned back towards her.

"To answer your question from earlier…yes, I do feel responsible for my parents' death. I always have and I always will. And you…are the only person I will admit this to".

Then, he was gone, leaving Selina with the slightest of smiles on her face.

* * *

The following month, Bruce was sitting in his study going over the notes from the latest Wayne Enterprises board meeting. It always amazed him how much talking there was, yet nothing was ever really said.

His concentration was broken as Alfred entered the room carrying a tea tray.

"Master Bruce, you look like you could use a cup of tea".

"Thanks Alfred, I certainly could", Bruce replied. "Do you ever remember why I decided remain the head of this company"?

Alfred shrugged as he poured out the tea into a china cup.

"No sir, I do not", he said, "but I always knew you were willing to meet a challenge and I also think you are a glutton for punishment".

Bruce smirked like he always did when Alfred spoke with such candour.

"You are correct as always old friend".

"Of course I am", Alfred replied. "Here is today's mail sir".

Alfred left the mail on Bruce's desk. After completing Bruce's cup of tea, he picked up the tray and left the room.

Bruce started going through the pile of envelopes. Nothing really jumped out to him: charity requests, gala opportunities, investment advice, the usual tripe.

The last letter he picked up was different though. Hand written, no corporate logo and no return address. His curiosity piqued, Bruce opened one of drawers where he kept a special x-ray document scanner. Placing the envelope on the scanner, he was satisfied that there was no risk in opening it.

Inside was a single piece of paper, with a hand-written message:

 _B._

 _I wanted to tell you that I am back in Gotham, safe and sound. I also wanted to thank you for Holly. I found out about the things you did for her while I was away. You didn't have to do that, but I am grateful all the same._

 _I thought a lot about us, about our time together. We are different people, but we are so similar it scares me. It's like we are the opposite sides of the same coin. Maybe we would be the perfect pair, or maybe we can't share our alter egos with anyone but ourselves._

 _I'm not sure what the right answer is, but I made a decision. I know what I want...I don't know if it's the right decision however it's the choice I'm making. I want to tell you in person so you need to come and find me. I know you can._

 _Come and chase me?_

 _S._

Bruce smiled and put the note in his desk drawer. After pressing a hidden button on the desk, the door to the Batcave opened and he headed downwards.

 _Count on it._

 **END**

* * *

Well, I finally finished the story. For my first fic, I definitely enjoyed writing it. I felt it could have been better so I hope my next one improves. Thank you all for the feedback – both positive and negative. I have more stories in the pipeline and I hope you will continue reading those as well.

As for this story, there could certainly be a sequel. If there are any suggestions as to where it could lead from here, I would love to hear your ideas. Thanks again everyone!


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